‘Iranian Army’s Ground Force will nip any threat in bud’

The commander of the Iranian Army’s Ground Forces says the force will “nip any threat against Iran in the bud.”

04/08/2019

1 minute read

Brigadier General Kioumars Heydari said on Sunday that Iranian armed forces were ready to give the most decisive response to any threat in the shortest time possible.

“The Army’s Ground Forces, as all of the Armed Forces, is at the height of its readiness, and if any threat emerges, it will nip it in the bud,” he said.

Heydari said that changes in the structure of the Ground Forces had made it “agile” and increased its readiness to a high level.

Tensions have been running high between Tehran and Washington since last year, when President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the US from a 2015 multilateral nuclear deal and started what he calls a campaign of “maximum pressure” against the Islamic Republic.

There have also been concerns about a potential confrontation in the Middle East region since early May this year, when the US ordered the accelerated deployment of a strike group to the Persian Gulf, citing an alleged threat from Iran.

On June 20, a US spy drone and another, crewed aircraft entered Iranian airspace. Iranian air defense forces shot the drone down but chose not to target the craft with the crew, merely warning it away.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has called for the formation of a European-led mission to the Persian Gulf to ensure “safe passage” in the region. The US has also announced its own separate plans to form an international military coalition in the Persian Gulf.

Enemies ‘won’t dare’ attack Iran

Separately on Sunday, the head of the Iranian Army’s Strategic Studies Center said that Iran’s enemies “would not dare use the military option” against the country due to the Iranian Armed Forces’ power.

Brigadier General Ahmadreza Pourdastan emphasized that none of the countries that have interests in the Persian Gulf wanted “another crisis” there.

“The Persian Gulf is like an ammunition depot, where the [small] spark of a firecracker can create a huge disaster,” he said.